In Belgium

The winter truce (treve hivernale / wintermoratorium) is a protective measure that suspends the physical enforcement of eviction orders during winter months. In Belgium, only the Brussels-Capital Region has a formal legal winter truce.

Brussels: evictions cannot be physically enforced between 1 November and 15 March. The court can still hear cases and render judgments, but the bailiff cannot carry out the actual eviction during this period.

Wallonia and Flanders: no formal winter truce exists. However, justices of the peace routinely grant longer notice periods during winter, and bailiffs may defer enforcement on humanitarian grounds.

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Good to know
The winter truce only suspends enforcement — it does not freeze the court procedure. A landlord can still file a case, attend hearings and obtain a judgment during the truce. Enforcement simply begins on 16 March.

Practical example

A landlord in Brussels obtains an eviction judgment in October, granting the tenant 1 month to vacate. The tenant does not leave by 1 November. The bailiff cannot enforce the eviction until 16 March. The tenant remains in the property for an additional 4.5 months, during which the landlord receives no rent but continues paying the mortgage and property tax.